Broken Bastion

A short sci-fi thriller written and directed by Jack Smith and starring Ruggero Barlaba, Lucas Davis, Stephanie Small, Ramsey Royden.

Mercury (Barlaba), Hoplite (Davis) and Icepick (Small) are a team of superheroes in Britain. When they are assigned by the government to go after a man named Grainger (Royden), Mercury and Hoplite are sceptical about it as they distrust the government and are unsure about Grainger's guilt. Nevertheless, Mercury agrees to spy on their latest target, leading to dramatic consequences.

A tense and exciting story that combines the superhero genre with espionage and government issues. Interestingly, the screenplay does not rely as much on the heroes pursuing the suspected bad guy, as it does on them questioning whether he truly is guilty, whether he actually is a threat.

Although this short involves characters with supernatural powers, their special abilities are seen in use only briefly. It is also worth mentioning that there is also some cool hand-to-hand fighting. However, this story unfolds mostly as a psychological suspenseful drama, focusing primarily on the protagonists's opinions regarding their current mission.

Barlaba plays the main character, a young man who finds himself caught in a struggle between completing his mission and whether the person he is pursuing truly is a fiend. Davis portrays the character who is the most intriguing, a martial arts expert who (like Mercury), has doubts regarding Grainger. Icepick is different in comparison with her two colleagues as she does not share their point of view, instead she believes that they must complete their mission no matter what. During his brief appearance as the alleged villain, Royden's performance gives the impression of a harmless and innocent guy.

The script appears to be examining people's disapproval towards government. The story's suspense is generated mainly by the trust and distrust that the characters are feeling towards government. Additionally, morality is another key theme, with characters questioning whether they should eliminate someone just because they were told to do so, even if their guilt is not confirmed.

An interesting thriller with supernatural powers, mystery and some action that acknowledges the significance of trust and verification. And special mention goes to Dominic Cairns for the atmospheric and unsettling music that creates a moody atmosphere.